Product Description

A world-renowned design authority shows how to make the most of every square foot.

Whether motivated by soaring energy costs, smaller families or the desire to live more simply, homeowners are abandoning "McMansions" for smaller housing. In How to Live in Small Spaces, Terence Conran explains that what's paramount to livability is not square footage, but how the space is divided.

In this comprehensive, full color book, Conran tackles the many challenges posed by small spaces. Chapters cover storage, bedrooms, children's rooms, lighting, extension and much more. "Assessing your needs" checklists and "points to consider" sidebars add valuable ideas. The six case studies that conclude the book provide excellent examples of great designs.

The author offers practical advice on exploiting every inch of space through:

• Using fold-down and pull-out features
• Buying slimline appliances
• Installing indoor portholes and windows
• Lessening the impact of furniture
• Using scale and proportion to advantage
• Manipulating color, texture and pattern
• Using screens, partitions and platforms
• Improving circulation paths.

Terence Conran never forgets the challenges posed by small spaces or the ingenuity and compromises required. He shows how easy it is to create a home whose comfort is not dependent on size, but on efficiency and integrity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #306953 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781554072422
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Founder of Habitat stores, designer and author Conran (The Ultimate House Book) recognizes in this prescient work that being upwardly mobile no longer translates into living large, particularly for urban dwellers. Opting for a smaller home enables one to live in a more desirable location, perhaps closer to work; a smaller home is cheaper to run (think energy), easier to maintain and forces one to be more selective in purchases and less acquisitive. "Think laterally and creatively" is Conran's dictum, for example, in assessing needs, decorating the space to make the most of light and air, simplifying architectural details, building in storage and investing in functional, dual-use furniture, i.e., wall beds in neutral shades. Conran is fond of open-concept layouts to permit freer circulation space and is not afraid of suggesting strong color for tight spaces. He emphasizes the importance of lighting, especially diffuse lighting. And once you've done all you can yourself, subsequent chapters treat hiring assistance for converting attics, basements and sheds. In "Area by Area," Conran tackles each tight living space specifically for maximum use—kitchen, bedroom, children's room, bathroom, even small yards. Six cases studies nicely conclude this enormously accessible volume, from a studio in L.A. to a split-level apartment in Paris and an engawa house in Tokyo. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
This jumbo journal of small-home living could inspire you to move into your own teensy space. (Sandy Dunham Seattle Times 20070602)

Proves that small can definitely be better.... Conran shows you how you can live well in a small space. (Style at Home 200705)

Plenty of innovative solutions. (Bruce Patterson Victoria Times-Colonist 20070422)

[Readers] will find scores of renovation and ideas about how to maximise their space. (George Fetherling Seven Oaks Magazine 20070409)

Packed with myriad possibilities on how small scale can still contain big style. (Mary Daniels Chicago Tribune 20070325)

Conran ... offers his latest insights into how to cope with a lack of living space. (Jane Gadd Toronto Globe and Mail 20070427)

Inspirational in its sophisticated approach to decorating and stretching space. (Donna Jean Mackinnon Toronto Star 20070419)

Prescient ... Conran tackles each tight living space specifically for maximum use... Enormously accessible. (Publishers Weekly 20070305)

There are plenty of suggestions here to help you better utilize the space and in the process improve your home. (Terry Peters Vancouver North Shore News 20070425)

As practical as it is insightful, [How to Live in Small Spaces] cover everything from décor tips to storage solutions. (F.S. Western Living Condo 200705)

Sleep cylinders, shacks, tree tents and modular pods are examples (if extreme ones) of the mold-breaking ideas in this workbook. (David Lewis Taylor In Style Home 200705)

No more complaining. Legendary London-based designer Terence Conran has compiled technbiques for making the most of cramped quarters. (Darcel Rockett Antelope Valley Press 20070408)

Terence Conran is a space-challenged person's best friend. (Shelf Life 200705)

This large book on small spaces is a great coffee table and resource book. (The Cottager 200705)

The book is packed with practical, time-proven ways to make the most of what you've got. (HRN: The Weekly Newspapaer of Home Products Retail 20070226)

Conran shows how a little planning can yield spectacular results. (Chocolat (English edition) 20070401)

Well-articulated advice for making the most of every inch. (Design Lines Toronto 200709)

Conran does a good job of explaining how to see the potential in small spaces, (Pat Jeffries The Oregonian 20070726)

Instead of bemoaning [your] tight quarters ... tackle the challenge head on with this practical design guide. (Elana Ashanti Jefferson Denver Post 20070503)

You can live well -- with ample storage -- in even the most diminutive homes. (Jennifer David House and Home Media 20070812)

Many examples ... give the reader a clear understanding of how the various spaces work and why. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 20071125)

Everyone who is planning any kind of house project should read this book. (Deborah Donovan Arlington Heights Daily Herald 20070505)

Provides ways to maximize every inch of your home. (Leanne Idle Dayton Daily News 20070610)

No more complaining. Legendary London-based designer Terence Conran has compiled techniques fOR making the most of cramped quarters. (Warwick Beacon 20070201)

Useful... will help you get maximum use out of every square inch of space. (Liz Grogan Good Times 20070715)

Lavishly illustrated ... packed with myriad possibilities on how small scale can still contain big style. (Edmonton Journal 20071013)

Filled with practical information... takes the reader step by step through the process of maximizing and beautifying a tiny abode. (Meredith Gordon Home Magazine 200712)

Offers detailed practical information on how to exploit every inch of small-space living.... small scale can still contain big style. (Mary Daniels West County Times, Richmond, VA 200703)

No more complaining. (Homestyle 200706)

No more complaining. Legendary London-based designer Terence Conran has compiled techniques for making the most of cramped quarters. (Darcel Rockett The Lawton Constitution 20080130)

No more complaining. Legendary London-based designer Terence Conran has compiled techniques for making the most of cramped quarters. (The Okanagan Saturday 20080321)

The ultimate home-design guide for the anti-McMansion set. (Harrowsmith Truly Canadian Almanac 2008 )

More than a coffee table book ... offers practical advice ... covering every room in the house. (Jim Adair Real Estate Magazine )

Lavishly illustrated, it makes living, cooking, entertaining, working and sleeping in less than 1,000 square feet easy and even desirable. (Marilyn Soltis Chicago Life )

How to Live in Small Spaces by Terrence Conran is inspirational in its sophisticated approach to decorating and stretching space. (Torstar News Service Metro (Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa) )

There is plenty of useful information to be found in this book. (Kim Pemberton The Vancouver Sun )

About the Author

Sir Terence Conran is the founder of the Conran Group, an architecture and design firm that also operates 28 restaurants and shops in the United States, Europe and Japan. His books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. His first book, The House Book (1974), radically changed how we view our home environment.

Customer Reviews

Great Basic Color Education
Though I am not color blind, one would be hard to believe that when it comes to color choices I have made in the past. I knew nothing about color and how colors work with one another.
The first part of this book outlines basic color theory - the primary colors, secondary and tertiary colors and how they work together. The book then goes into how to use color to set different moods or support different themes - for example, what colors to use for an Asian or Mediterreanan look.
I learned a lot - and finally got it through my head that paint is not permanent - if you don't like it - paint it over. With this book in hand, I won't be afraid to try different color combos. This is a great book with lots of ideas!

Like the book
Well organized,liked the pictures and ideas. A little light on actual hard core information, but a nice intro to the ideas that are useful to consider when contemplating a small space remodel.

W O N ' T.....W O R K.....I N.....M A N H A T T A N
From the cover of this book, (and the pictures inside), it seems this
book was written for people with from 600-1200 square feet of living
space. As many apartments in Manhattan, (and elsewhere), can get as
small as 180 square feet, those in these cramped living spaces would
find little, if any, advice to justify their buying of this book. Also, the text print size is so unnecessairily small that a magnifying glass should be given, gratus, with each copy(!) My suggestions? A companion book, ("Living in VERY Small Spaces"), should be written -- and A LARGER
PRINT SIZE should be in both volumes!